“‘Yung DFA sumulat na ng protest, a note verbale, to the ambassador but most of the time according to Secretary Yasay, sabi niya the Chinese ambassador just denied, we are not doing that, but it cannot be denied,” pagbubunyag ni Lorenzana.

“One of the Chinese survey ship is plying the Benham Rise already last year. It was monitored for about three months doing that so we have ordered the Navy if they will see this service ship this year, start to accost them and ilayo sa eastern side of the Philippines,” pahayag ng kalihim.

“We still have some friends who give us satellite photographs of what’s happening there and they give us information that these ships were actually plying the Benham Rise, north of the Philippines up to Surigao. There is no report of oil deposit in that area but that is where the Philippine deep is, ‘yung malalim, the Philippine Trench. And according to some, they are actually looking for a place for submarines,” pahayag pa ni Lorenzana.